Systems Update

I'm building an 800 gallon tank (128" long by 36" wide and 50" deep) with a 250 gallon wet dry sump tank and 30 sq ft grow bed.  I'll have about 1000 gallons of water in this 900 cu ft room!  Basically 15% of the room will be filled with water.  The proportions may not seem correct, but I do not intend to raise the fish in a maximum population configuration.  Happy fish and stable temps are my goal.

I was going to use IBC's, but I want to maximize the space I have in the grow room I'm building, and now plan to custom build the tanks with EPDM.

Life is getting a little busy, but I hope to have the tank done. and filled next week.  I can hardly wait!   I've learned my lesson about cycling and want to get the process started.

I set up a 30 gallon tank last week and thought could barrow some bacteria from my pond. Well here's a little insight on that.  It appears that during the Winter the bacteria go very dormant or die.  I added fish, but the filter was not ready.  Let me tell you it's no picnic having to do 25% water changes at least once a day to maintain a <1% ammonia level.


I added Aqua Gold yesterday and today I added Nite Out ii.  Within two hours of adding the Nite Out ii the ammonia began to drop!  Good stuff, but my friend Fred may still be right about the Aqua Gold.  Between the two of them it looks like I can relax.


I started to build a wet/dry sump tonight.   The little filter I have on the 30 gallon tank is not going to be able to handle the  population much longer.  Below is the design.  

 I don't want to take a chance on a siphon over the side to the sump tank. .It will be my first time drilling a hole in glass,but I have two 30 gallon tanks and I'm feeling confident that it will go well. 

The 3 grades of Matala Filter Media is placed as shown above the water level and under the drip pan.  The larger section is the refugium and water level section.   It may seem wrong, but this is the direction Matala Filter Media is supposed to be used